


In The Moment We're Lost And Found

by WonderstruckSwan



Series: Captain Swan Cygnet Believer [1]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Gen, Sibling Bonding, maia swan-jones, original cs child, teeny tiny knightrook
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-12
Updated: 2018-02-12
Packaged: 2019-03-17 12:50:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,170
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13659339
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WonderstruckSwan/pseuds/WonderstruckSwan
Summary: After the curse is broken, Henry finds himself unable to truly settle into Hyperion Heights, not when his mother and the rest of his family are still in Storybrooke. So he finally returns home to see Emma again and meet his younger half sister.





	In The Moment We're Lost And Found

Was this what it felt like when the first curse was broken? When they defeated the Black Fairy?

The curse over Hyperion Heights had been broken. Henry had stood dazed as he hugged his long-lost wife and daughter, watching as…. Killian, he supposed, tearfully lifted Alice into the air as Zelena crushed her child in a hug.

“Daddy?” Lucy asked, her chin digging into his waist as she grinned up at him. He missed that smile, her dimples and eyes sparkling.

“Yes kiddo?” he chuckled, running a hand over her hair.

“What happens now?” Henry looked at Ella, who frowned at him, before breaking away from his family.

“I…. I don’t really know.”

“Well when the first curse broke, and everyone found each other….” Henry had to chuckle. His daughter was far too efficient for her age. “Then all of the fairytale characters went to Regina….!”

“And in this case Regina would mean…. Drizella? Gothel?” Ella asked.

As if on cue, Henry saw a crowd of people heading down Main street. To where Gothel and Drizella were hiding out.

“Lucy, go home,” he ordered. “Don’t come out until Mom and I come for you.” Lucy nodded and took off as a sickening feeling of déjà vu came over Henry. This must have been how Emma felt when they had broken the original curse.

It took weeks, but they did it. Drizella had no magic in this world and it was easy to subdue her and lock her in the prison. Gothel proved more challenging but once a magic cuff was on, she was as useless and defenceless as Drizella. It helped that Killian and Alice had a bone to pick with her.

For someone so tiny, Alice packed a punch.

It was finished. This was the part of the story where they rode off into the sunset and spent the rest of their days sitting around loving each other and having an eternal sense of peace or whatever they were meant to have.

Henry didn’t feel it. He thought that this agitation was just an effect of the curse that would came down eventually. He did laps of Hyperion Heights every day to ease his mind. He wrote start after start of new stories. He started several new TV shows on Netflix. He made dinner and made jokes with Lucy and watched TV and went out for drinks with Rogers (he still felt weird calling him Killian). Nothing felt right. Hyperion Heights just wasn’t home for him.

Home. That was where he needed to go.

Home was with Ella and Lucy. And yes, it was a stone castle in the Other Enchanted Forest. But home was also a blue house with a view of the sea and a white picket fence and a stash of comics in the corner of his room. Home was a red leather jacket and blonde hair and a kiss on his forehead.

He needed to go home.

He brought it up with Ella and is shocked to find that she isn’t agreeing with him.

“We just got back,” she sighed, taking another sip of her tea.

“I know, I know, but I can’t stay.” He winced at his word. “I don’t mean it like that. I just need to go to Storybrooke.”

“I know you miss them….” She sighed.

“Yes I do, I really do,” he groans. “And Lucy had to meet her grandma. And her great grandparents. And you have to meet my mom, my other mom.” Ella blushed at that, hiding her smile behind her mug. “And Lucy has to meet her aunt or uncle. Hell, I have a brother or sister and I have never even met them.”

He stopped at that and kicked himself. He has a younger sibling. His whole childhood he prayed for a sibling. Now he has one and hasn’t seen them. He never got to see them grow up or hold them.

“Ella I’ve got a sibling out there and…. And I need to see them,” he sighed. Ella nodded, chewing her lip.

“Okay. Okay,” she agreed, smiling. “Let’s do this. Let’s go to Storybrooke.”

“Woo-hoo!” a small but recognisable voice came from outside. Ella and Henry raised their eyebrows at each other before opening the kitchen door to a pyjama clad Lucy with a guilty smile and excited eyes. “I wasn’t eavesdropping.”

“Shouldn’t you be in bed, young lady?” Ella asks, shaking her head.

“Sorry?” she asks, scrunching her nose.

“Mom will love you,” Henry sighs.

                                                                                                                                                    ******

It was meant to be a family trip, him, Ella and Lucy. Then the rest of the town found out.

Regina wants to go because it would be nice to catch up with Snow. And if Regina’s going, Zelena is going. And if Zelena’s going, Robyn is going. And if Robyn’s going……

Well, it leads to an argument between Alice and Rogers that goes on for at least two hours.

“Please can I go Papa please please please please, Papa, please, pretty please?”

“Alice, I don’t know-”

“I’ll be with Robyn-”

“That’s what worries me,” he says dryly.

“And Zelena and Henry and Regina and Emma Swan and the other you and nothing is going to go wrong, please please please, pretty please, _please_?”

He relents. He cannot say no to her. Can’t deny her a chance to see more of the world.

But that doesn’t stop him from grasping Henry’s arm right before they go to the bus stop, softly asking to keep her safe, all the while keeping one eye on her and Robyn as they make sure they have everything.

Henry can’t blame him. He is a father too.

                                                                                                                                                 ******

Getting to Storybrooke after the bus ride is a struggle. Henry, chivalrous knight of sorts that he is, has taken Lucy’s bag for her and wishes he hadn’t. The bus has left them off five miles from Storybrooke in the late morning, but everyone is far too tired to walk that distance.

“Regina, Zelena, Robyn, can’t you guys help?” he sighs.

“It’s called the Land Without Magic for a reason,” Zelena says. “You could have just called ahead and had Emma pick us up.”

“That would ruin the surprise!” Henry sighed, hoping the surprise would be worth it.

“But it isn’t always,” Robyn points out. She sighs when everyone turns to look at her. “It’s not always the Land Without Magic. Aunt Regina you said that once Henry managed to create a portal to bring your family to New York, right?”

“Yes, I stood on a lion then a boatload of people threw pennies into a fountain. It’s on YouTube if you want to see it,” Henry said. “Not seeing your point Robin.”

“My point,” she said, scowling at him. “Is that between the three of us, can’t we make our own magic?” She looked at her mother and aunt expectedly.

“Regina?” Zelena asked. Regina shrugged, confusion clouding her face.

“It’s worth a try,” Lucy chirped.

“Couldn’t hurt,” Regina agreed. Robyn, Zelena and Regina grabbed hands.

“Everyone grabbed onto us,” Robyn instructed. Henry grasped Robyn’s shoulder, while Alice opted for wrapping an arm around her waist and resting her chin on her shoulder. Robyn’s face was screwed up in concentration, to the point where Henry saw a blue vein appear on her forehead and arms strained with tension. Regina and Zelena were less tense but they were still pushing themselves.

“Dad,” Lucy whispered as she tugged on his sleeve. “Look.”

In the middle of the circle that the women had formed, a small flicker of green sparked on the floor, which began to grow.

Before Henry could even react, he became completely weightless as green smoke filled his vision and slid into his throat. Then the sensation passed as quickly as it had come, and he found himself standing on firm ground again, if still slightly dizzy.

He allowed himself to find his bearings and gather his wits, his hand digging into Robyn’s shoulder as the gravel streets tilted and slowly became steady, before allowing himself to look around.

He half wished it would still look the same as it did when he left. However, while ten years had taken its toll on Storybrooke, but the modern age had finally arrived. Even here on Main Street he saw that the road had been painted over recently, and that Granny’s had a new sign, and that the dress shop had been replaced by a school uniform shop.

He recognised his mother as soon as he saw her. She stepped out of Granny’s with a to-go bag, like this was just some other regular day. It probably was for her. Her hair was still golden, swept into a low ponytail. She was still wearing that damned leather jacket. It was almost the same outfit she had been wearing when they said goodbye. She was throwing her head back and laughing at something Killian had said to her. For the briefest of moments he felt like nothing had changed, like he was about to meet her after a long day at school and she’d help him with his homework and Hook would make dinner and they’d laugh at the table and nothing would have changed.

Except it had. When Emma stepped out onto the street, Henry saw a small girl in a black leather jacket and red hair held back in a braid holding her hand and rolling her eyes with a fond smile on her face.

His sister.

“Go to them,” Alice said. Blinking, Henry came back to reality and realised he was still standing in the middle of Main Street. “Seriously Henry, go.”

After patting Lucy’s back quickly, Henry took off after his family. It took him only a few seconds until he was just a few feet behind them. Until he was within earshot.

“Mom,” he croaked out.

Emma stopped dead in her tracks and spun around. She covered her mouth with her hand and laughed.

“Oh my god,” she whispered, running towards him. “Oh my god Henry!” She threw her arms around him and he lifted her up. She laughed into his shirt and cradled his head. “I missed you so much.”

“I missed you too,” he said, tears running down his face. She still smelled the same; coffee and sweat and donuts. She pulled back and hastily wiped the tears from her cheeks. She smiled so brightly, so beautifully at him.

“Does this mean you found your story?” she asked.

“Yeah, yeah, I did,” he said. “And my story said it was time to come home.” He took in a shaky breath. “But it’s not over yet. There’s still one more person I have to meet.” He looked over at the little girl who had Killian’s hand on her shoulder. She had eyed their reunion with uncertainty since he had got there.

Emma smiled at him and held her hand out to the girl.

“Maia, sweetheart, come here,” she said softly. Maia looked up at Killian, who gave her a reassuring nod, before stepping forward and taking her mother’s hand. “Maia, this is Henry. This is your big brother.” Emma sobbed again as her two children finally saw each other face to face.

Henry knelt so he was eye level with his sister. She hadn’t got her mother’s golden locks, but she had Emma’s big green eyes and her chin and her cheekbones and her freckles.

“Hey, Maia,” he greeted. “I’m sorry I made you wait so long. But I really want to get to know you.”

“You’re my older brother?” she asked. “You’re Henry, the Henry?”

“Oh I’m ‘the’ Henry?” he teased, eyeing Emma.

“I may have told her a few stories,” Emma laughed. Maia shifted from one foot to the other. Henry couldn’t blame her. She was having a whole new family shoved onto her and disrupting what he assumed to be a fairy comfortable routine.

“Henry,” Ella said from behind him. He turned to see the people from Hyperion Heights had gathered a bit behind him. Alice and Robyn were busy looking around themselves and taking in every small detail they could. Ella and Lucy on the other hand were focussed on him, with Lucy seeming to pay more attention to Maia. “Won’t you introduce us?”

“Of course.” Henry held out his hand and let his family come forward. Ella wrapped her hand around his. “Mom, Killian, Maia, this is Ella. My wife.” Emma smiled at Ella briefly before her eyes landed on Lucy and she put two and two together. “And this is Lucy. Our daughter.”

Emma’s eyes darted from Lucy to Henry and back again. Her face broke into another radiant smile.

“I’m a grandma?” she chuckled. “God make me feel old why don’t you?”

Lucy looked at the ground and grasped Ella’s hand, moving closer to her mother. Henry rubbed the back of his neck, wondering how he was going to ease both his families together.

“Why don’t we all go back to the house?” Hook asked. Henry let out a sigh of relief. “I’m sure it will be much more comfortable than us standing here like the spare ones at a wedding.”

“Mom?” he asked.

“Yeah, come on,” she grinned and looked back at his family. “Don’t worry we have lots of room.”

                                                                                                                                     *****

“This house is gigantic,” Alice commented as she crossed the threshold. “Much bigger than mine and Papa’s place.”

“Glad you like it,” Emma laughed, making her way to the kitchen while everyone else made their way to the living room. Henry couldn’t stop himself from looking in on her and Killian. An old habit from his teenage days.

“I’ll take care of the tea and biscuits, love,” he said. “You go talk to Henry.” Emma gave him a soft smile and a peck on the cheek before she came into the living room and sat beside him on the sofa.

Across the room, Alice whispered something in Robyn’s ear. She frowned, but after a pout from Alice she nodded, squeezed her hand, and Alice slipped into the kitchen.

“Can I help?” Alice asked, causing Hook to jump. She clasped her hands behind her back and bit her lip. “It’s just, well there is a lot of people and I’m quite good at making tea.”

“You’re our guest, lass,” Killian laughed. “And you’ve had quite the trip. You just relax.”

“I’m Alice,” she said. Killian took in a sharp breath and nodded. “I’m your…. Well not your but, well his daughter.”

“Aye,” he whispered. “He picked a good name for you, didn’t he?” Alice giggled. He handed her a plate and gestured to the cookie jar. “Can you get some biscuits out for me?”

Minutes later, Killian and Alice arrived with a tray of teacups, milk, sugar and Alice carrying two plates of cookies.

“Look at you a domesticated little pirate,” Henry teased.

“He doesn’t look like the most fearsome pirate captain to ever hoist a sail,” Lucy pointed out. Emma almost choked on her tea. Even Maia was chuckling while her father spluttered indignantly.

“I will spare you the details of my pirate years, because you’re a child,” he said, perching on the arm of the chair Emma sat in.

“So what’s been going on?” Emma asked. “I mean it’s been 10 years, and I got your messages, but they stopped coming, what’s been happening?”

“Well,” Henry sighed. “I mean it was great for a while. We managed to take care of Lady Tremaine, then we had Lucy and moved into our castle and just…. Had lives. Great lives. Then that all came to a stop when…..” Henry tensed as he got to the part of the tale he wanted to hide from his mother.

“What is it?” Emma asked. “Henry what happened?”

“There was a curse.”

“Curse?” Emma repeated, causing both Maia and Lucy to jump. Emma took a deep breath and composed herself. “What kind of curse?”

“Like the one the Regina used to make your parents send you away,” Lucy told her. Henry knew she was helping but that didn’t stop him from groaning. He had hoped he could tell Emma this privately. Or never.

Emma was in shock. Killian put his hand on her shoulder and tried to calm her down, but she was too riled up to listen to him.

“You were cursed?” she asked. “Like, Dark Curse cursed?”

“Yes,” he sighed. “But it was only for two years before we broke it, so it wasn’t that bad.”

“Not that bad? Henry!” Emma took a deep breath and composed herself while Killian rubbed circles on her back. “It’s okay. You’re okay now, that’s what’s important.”

Henry knew that was definitely not what was important, but it could wait.

“And you’ve been living in that cursed area since it broke?” Killian asked, wanting to get the conversation back on track.

“Yeah, Hyperion Heights. It’s in Seattle, it’s not a bad place,” Henry said. “We’ve been trying to rebuild our lives since then.”

“But you had what, seven, eight years in the…. Other Enchanted Forest?” Emma asked. “What were they like?”

“They were great, Mom,” Henry said. Before he could start, Lucy began talking about their castle and her princess life and her gowns, and how she felt about Hyperion Heights.

Later, Regina excused herself, wanting to see Snow and catch up. Zelena left too and then Robyn asked if she could show Alice around the place she had spent most of her childhood. This left Ella, Lucy, Henry, Maia, Killian and Emma sitting in the living room.

Henry saw his sister whisper something to Lucy and his daughter nodded in reply.

“Mom, can I show Lucy my room?” she asked.

“If it’s okay with Ella and Henry, I guess.”

“Can I, Mom?” Lucy asked.

“Yes, but-” Before Ella could finish her sentence the two had ran up the stairs.

“She’s a cute one, that one,” Killian commented. Ella smiled and watched her run up the stairs.

“Yeah she is. And having gone through what she has, she’s tough too,” Ella said proudly.

Emma looked over at Killian. Reading her like an open book, he nodded and turned to Ella.

“Ella, might I be so arrogant as to show you our garden?” he asked. Ella was clearly not keen on the idea, but looked at Henry and agreed, seeing his need for a private moment.

“I would be honoured.” She allowed Killian to lead her out the back door and talk about his vegetable garden.

Henry wondered if the veggie patch was still there.

He tensed as he turned to face Emma, who was drumming her nails on an empty mug.

“I know you’re mad,” he began.

“Yes I am mad,” she replied tiredly. “At least I think I’m mad. Just…. How could you not tell me about this?”

“Well you were busy,” he said. “I mean you had enough on your plate with the baby and the town, and you were finally having some peace. I didn’t want to mess that up.”

“You’d never mess anything up,” Emma sighed, stroking Henry’s face. “Henry I’m your mom. You should be able to come to me when there’s stuff like this.”

“I know, I know,” he sighed. “But you’ve waited for this for so long. A time when you can just relax and be the Sheriff and watch bad TV and drink hot cocoa in your spare time. You’ve been the Saviour long enough.”

Emma got up and pulled Henry into a tight hug, resting her head on his shoulder.

“Henry I’d always be the Saviour for you,” Emma whispered. “Next time there is a crisis, please, please come to me.”

“No promises,” Henry said, laughing slightly. They sat in silence for a while, Henry’s hand reaching round to grasp Emma’s. He began wondering what he would have felt if in a few years, he was in this position with Lucy, if she didn’t tell him he was in danger.

“I can’t believe you were cursed and I didn’t know,” she sobbed. “I could have helped.”

“But I’m here now,” he reminded her. “And we broke the curse, we’re all together again, we’re fine.” He thought again about how he would feel if this was him and Lucy. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, Mom. I just wanted to handle this alone.”

“Henry, you’re never going to be alone,” she told him. “Kid you might have Ella and Lucy and your new family, but you still have your family back here. And we’re never going to give up on you.” She kissed his forehead. “And that is a promise.”

                                                                                                                                         *****

“Do you think your mom is mad at me?” Lucy asked Maia as they entered her room.

“I think she’s mad at your dad,” she replied. Maia had heard all the stories about Henry, and while she had been excited to hear about the boy who had saved them from the alternate reality, the boy who was “the Author” she had never quite been able to see him as her brother.

“Why?” Lucy asked. “Shouldn’t she be happy he’s back?”

“She is.” Maia sat on the bed and gestured for Lucy to come sit next to her. “I think she wished he’d came to her about the curse.”

“Oh.” Lucy fell silent after that and looked around. “Your room’s really cool.” The walls were painted blue with detailed pictures of mermaids and pirate ships and castles on them that her parents and grandparents had made, and Lucy seemed fascinated by them. There was also a small TV on her floor with a games console attached to it.

“You had a bedroom in a palace though,” Maia reminded her. “Wasn’t that cool?”

“It was. Then the curse happened, and I got downgraded to a bedroom the size of your wardrobe in a teeny little apartment.” Maia giggled.

“Want to play Mario Kart?” she asked. Lucy frowned and followed her over to the TV.

“Sure, how do you play it?”

“You never played?” Lucy shook her head. “Wow that curse must have been awful if you didn’t have Mario Kart.” Maia handed her a controller. “We can start with Rainbow Road.”

                                                                                                *****

Henry padded out of bed when it was still relatively early; Ella was still sound asleep. They were put in Emma and Hook’s guest bedroom. He was glad to see that the throw he had picked out was still there. Lucy had asked if she could sleep in Maia’s room, with Maia insisting she had a spare bed. He and Ella had heard the two of them talking and giggling late in the night.

When he got downstairs, he found his daughter and sister sitting at the table, Maia in her school uniform (he laughed when he saw Storybrooke elementary was still wearing the same uniform two decades later) and Lucy in an outfit she had taken from home. The sight of them together giggling over something put a smile on his face.

“Hi, Daddy,” Lucy chirped.

“Morning sunshines,” he said as he went over to the cupboard, only to find himself confused when the coffee wasn’t in there. “Uh, Maia, where do you guys keep the coffee now?”

“Um, the cupboard by the fridge,” Maia told him. _Not my house anymore_ Henry thought sadly as he pulled out the coffee grounds.

Emma came in, humming some old song under her breath. She looked so different from how she used to. She had always been beautiful, but he remembered her looking constantly burdened by whatever task she had to do next. There were moments in between, brief laughter and smiles with him and Killian and her parents, but not this. This was a freedom, laughing in the morning as she kissed her daughter on the forehead and swayed her hips when she turned the radio on.

“This is embarrassing,” Maia whispered to Lucy, who was already giggling.

“They seem to be getting along well,” Henry remarked to Emma. Emma looked over at them and smiled.

“Yeah, they are,” she sighed. “So, does my wonderful son have any plans for today?”

“Well,” Henry laughed. “I was planning on taking my beautiful wife and kid out for a tour around Storybrooke. Show them where I grew up.”  

“That sounds like a great idea,” Emma said. “And maybe I can meet up with you guys on my lunch break.”

“Mom that would be awesome.”

“Can we go to Granny’s?” Lucy asked, apparently having been eavesdropping on the whole conversion. “Just ever since I read Henry’s book I’ve wanted to taste Granny’s.”

“Yes, we can go to Granny’s Luce,” Henry chuckled. Once the girls ended up in another conversation, Henry gently took Emma by the arm. “And I was wondering if I could have some one-on-one time with Maia. Get to know her a bit more. Maybe take her out for ice cream or whatever it is she likes.”

Emma grinned at the thought of her two kids finally spending some time together. She reached down and squeezed Henry’s hand.

“That’d be amazing,” she said. “And she loves ice cream.” Emma turned her attention the task of making her coffee as she continued. “Ever since she was born I’ve wanted you two spend some time together.” She took a deep breath and looked away from him.

“I’ve wanted to spend time with her too,” Henry said.

“Morning my loves,” Killian sang as he entered the kitchen. He pulled on Maia’s ponytail gently before moving to hug Emma. He gave Henry a nod before resting his chin on Emma’s shoulder.

“Mm, go make breakfast, pirate,” she hummed with a smile on her face. He kissed her neck and went to get cereal from the cupboard.

“So, you’ve got him off the mackerel,” Henry laughed. Killian raised an amused eyebrow.

“We agreed last night there’d be no mackerel while you’re here,” Emma said.

“What’s mackerel?” Lucy asked from the table. Maia shuddered and pulled a face.

“Only the most disgusting thing on this planet,” she answered. “Dad likes it.”

“There are things in this realm less awful than mackerel, Miss Maia,” Killian replied. Henry saw Maia shake her head and mouth ‘no way’ at Lucy.

In the hall, Henry saw Ella nervously picking at her sweater as she stood still, not entering the room. Shaking his head slightly, he went out to her and grasped her arms.

“Hey what’s up?” he asked her.

“Nothing, nothing,” she said, looking at the ground. “Just thinking.” 

“Ella,” he sighed. “There is no reason whatsoever to be nervous about my mom.”

“You think I’m nervous?” she laughed nervously.

“I know you’re nervous.” He wrapped one arm around her waist, pulling her close, and cupped her cheek with the other hand. “But you’ll be fine. She’ll love you.” Convinced, Ella nodded and allowed Henry to pull her by the hand into the kitchen.

“Hey, Ella,” Emma greeted. Her smile was casual, but Henry saw her shoulders tense slightly then relax when she saw the distance between them. “Want some coffee?”

“Yes, that’d be great thanks,” she said.

“Mom, Henry said he’d take us around Storybrooke today,” Lucy said. Ella nodded and looked at Henry.

“I thought it’d be nice for you guys to see where I grew up,” he said. “And Lucy wants to see Granny’s.”

“Well that sounds great,” Ella said.

“Yeah, and then Henry’s taking Maia out for ice cream after school,” Emma added. Maia immediately reverted to the girl he saw yesterday; her hands dropped to her lap and she bit her lip. The girl who had been giggling and playing with Lucy all through the night might as well have been a twin.

“He is?” she asked. Her eyes shifted from him to her mother before resting on the table.

“Yes, he is,” Emma said. Henry recognised the tone, it was the “do not argue with me” tone, and he did sympathise with her. He had been on the receiving end of that voice. She quickly straightened up and shook her “mom” persona. “Okay we’re leaving in ten minutes, Maia.”

“I know, I know,” Maia slipped upstairs to get ready and Lucy, apparently having no idea what else to do, followed her. Emma sighed as she watched her disappear up the stairs and moved her eyes to Henry.

“She’s a great kid, Henry,” she said. “A really great kid.”

“I don’t doubt it,” Henry replied. “Lucy loves her apparently.”

“I know, and she’s not normally like this,” Emma insisted. “I mean it’s strange for her.”

“I get it, Mom,” he said. “I mean she’s been an only child for what, 10, 11 years and now she has an older brother thrown on her? I’d be freaked out.” Emma looked over at Killian. Henry frowned; clearly there was more to this than it seemed. Hesitantly, Emma nodded.

“She doesn’t have a whole load of friends at school,” Killian explained. “And lately some kids have started picking on her. Just some stupid teasing but it knocked her down.” Henry nodded and tried to process it. Sure, Maia seemed a little prickly, but he couldn’t imagine anyone wanting to hurt her.

“I get it,” Henry muttered. “I’ll go easy on her.”

                                                                                                *****

Henry walked with his wife and child down Main Street, Lucy insisting on pointing out every single place and explaining it to her mother before Henry could get a word in.

“And that’s where Mr Clarke, aka Sneezy, used to work,” she said. “And that’s where Cinderella’s true love Thomas lived under the curse, right Dad?”

“Hey, I thought I was meant to be giving this tour, Lucy?” he laughed, wrapping his arm around her. “Anyway, I wanted to give you guys a more personal tour.” He led them from the streets to the path leading to the woods. Lucy jumped over every log and kicked up piles of leaves, laughing.

“This is good for her,” Ella said, linking arms with Henry. “All this nature and stuff. I mean back home it’s not like she has a lot of that.”

“Maybe we can find some place,” Henry said. “I mean there’s got to be some properties out with a bigger garden. Maybe closer to the countryside, out of the cities.”

“You’re talking about moving?” Ella asked. Henry stopped in his tracks and searched for the words. It had been a thought ever since the curse broke but he had thought their apartment was a bit cramped. And Lucy hadn’t said anything, but he could tell she missed the garden they had had back home and found the apartment too small. And Seattle was so far away from his family too.

Henry stopped and took Ella’s hands.

“Let’s not talk about this now,” he said. “Okay? I promise we can talk about this later, but can we just have this moment now?”

“Fine,” Ella sighed. He could tell how much it bothered her, but he was grateful for her agreeing to put it aside.

“Are you two having a moment?” Lucy asked. “Because I can leave if that’s the issue.”

“No, no,” Henry said. Ella smiled as he led them further into the woods. “Just adult stuff, Luce.”

“So, Lucy, we heard you and Maia were getting on well,” Ella remarked.

“She’s really cool,” Lucy replied. “We played Mario Kart in her room and she let me look at her books and we were talking for ages.”

“Oh, we know,” Henry laughed. Lucy’s cheeks flushed red at his remark. “It’s okay Luce. I’m actually glad you’ve got a friend.” Lucy laughed and went on dancing down the path until Henry called for her to stop, having come to a clearing in the forest where a well stood.

“What is it?” she asked.

“That is the place where my mom and grandma came back through a portal,” he said.

“Cool,” Lucy breathed.

“See, Emma and Snow were trapped in the Enchanted Forest and that was their way home. Regina nearly destroyed it, but I begged her not to. Emma and Snow came back safely, and I just threw myself into my mom’s arms. And it just felt right. She fought so hard to get back to me and I never really had that before.” Henry smiled fondly at the memory, allowing himself to be lost in the feeling of Emma’s arms around him and how calm, secure, he felt there. “There was also the time I tried to blow it up.”

All the way to the beach, Lucy pestered him to tell the tale of how he tried to explode the well and Ella eventually joined in too, curiosity getting the better of her.

“I will tell you guys that fascinating story later,” he promised. “But this is what I wanted to show you.” They stood on an empty beach. Lucy pulled her coat tighter around her. “There.” Henry pointed to a large empty space and began jogging towards it. “That’s what I wanted to show you.”

“What is it?” Ella asked as she and Lucy caught up with him. “What are we looking at?”

“That’s where my castle used to be,” Henry said. “I had a pretend castle back when I was a kid. I went there whenever I was upset. And Emma and I had our first real moment there. I told her about her father, about the curse, she gave me a walkie talkie here.” Henry closed his eyes and relived every moment briefly. “It was our place. Until Regina crushed it.”

“It was where you two came just to be together,” Ella said.

“Yeah.” Ella reached up and wiped the tears from Henry’s face. He squeezed her hand gratefully.

“Dad?” Lucy asked. “Are you okay?”

“Fine, I’m fine,” he said. “Just the sea air getting to me.” He reached his hand out to his daughter. “Come on, you guys want to go to Granny’s and meet Emma?”

                                                                                                *****

Henry threw his keys from one hand to the other as he waited outside Storybrooke elementary for his sister to come. Remembering what Emma and Hook had said about some kids picking on her and how that affected her had made him rethink his approach to her. He wanted to be someone she could come to when she was upset, and her parents couldn’t fix it this time.

“Hey, kid,” he greeted as Maia. He couldn’t help but notice how quickly she ran out of the building while the rest of the kids ambled around in small groups.

“Hey,” she said, panting slightly as she adjusted the strap of her backpack. “Is Lucy not coming?” Henry shook his head as they began walking down the street.

“Nope, her and Ella are back at your house bonding with Mom,” he said. “So we can have some one-on-one brother-sister bonding time.” He scanned her face for a reaction and when the faintest hint of a smile came on her face, it’s all he needed.

“Cool,” she said. “Brother-sister bonding time.”

“I mean, I know it feels weird having me show up after ten years,” he said. Maia gripped her backpack tightly but didn’t respond. “And you’ve had Mom and Killian all to yourself for that time, but I want to make this work.”

“Really?” she asked, big green eyes looking up at him.

“Really,” he promises, and he sees her little shoulders relax. “But I am glad you get along so well with Lucy.”

“Well she’s pretty cool,” Maia says. “I even showed her Mario Kart.”

“You play Mario Kart?” he asked.

“Uh-huh,” she said. “And it’s good that she knows how to play because up until now it was just me and Uncle Neal.”

“How is Uncle Neal?” he asked, kicking himself for just now thinking about his grandparents and uncle. When Maia wrinkles her nose and sticks out her tongue, he laughs.

“He’s okay,” she said. “He’s boring though. He never wants to hang out with me, just go out with his friends and…. I don’t know, loot stores.”

“Is that what you think he does?” Maia shrugged.

“I don’t know what adults do in their free time,” she confessed. “He goes to his boyfriend’s house a lot. And he’s learning how to manage the farm form Grandpa.”

An adult. Neal, his uncle, who was a kid when he left, is now an adult in his twenties with a boyfriend and is learning to manage the family business. And he had missed out on all of it. He had missed out on sitting listening to him talk about whatever boy he was with and preparing him for dates and teaching him how to drive.

“Henry?” Maia asked, pulling him out of his spiral.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” he said.  He sighed in relief when he saw they were outside Any Given Sundae. “Come on, let’s get some ice cream.”

They ended up seated at a table near the window, him cleaning out a tub of cherry vanilla while she has a cone of rocky road.

“So how was school?” he asked her.

“It was okay,” she said, shrugging. “A bit boring, I guess.”

“You find school boring?” Henry laughed.

“Don’t all kids my age?” she said. Henry nodded, thinking about the long rants Lucy had been giving him since the curse broke about how much she hated school.

“I can’t believe they haven’t changed the uniform since I went there,” he remarked.

“A lot of the teachers ask about you,” she said. “The ‘oh, are you Henry’s little sister?’.” He chuckled at her impression of Miss Boot, which is far too accurate.

“Miss Boot still works there?” he laughed.

“Yeah,” Maia said. “She says she still remembers when you were four.”

“I doubt she did, she was cursed at the time,” he said. Maia went quiet at that and Henry wondered why.

“Yeah, the curse,” she muttered, more to herself than him. “The one you and Emma broke.”

“Well, Emma broke it, all I did was go into a magical coma,” he said, trying to lighten the mood. “Emma was the real Saviour.”

“I know,” Maia said. “But you’ve done the hero stuff too, right? I mean, you had a magic pen that you could do whatever you wanted with.”

“Which I broke,” he reminded her.

“You saved Emma when Gideon killed her,” she pointed out and he had to stop there, beginning to realise what his sister’s problem is.

“Well yeah, but all I did was kiss her on the forehead. For all I knew I was just saying goodbye.” Maia curled her hand into a fist. “Maia, is everything okay?”

“Yeah,” she said hastily, lying through her teeth. “I’m fine.” Henry frowned and wanted to ask her more, but his phone chimed, interrupting him. He pulled it out to see a text from Emma.

“Grandma, Grandpa and Uncle Neal are coming over for dinner,” he informed her.

“Cool,” Maia said.

They walked home together in an uncomfortable silence.

                                                                                                ******

Henry was over the moon to see his grandparents again. Snow pulled him into a tight hug, gushing about how much she had missed him, how tall he was now, how handsome he had gotten. David wasn’t as sappy as Snow was and settled for clapping him on the shoulder, telling him it was good to have him back.

“Uncle Neal,” Henry greeted, almost in shock. Gone was the little eight-year-old boy who clung to his legs and begged him not go. Neal had grown and was almost the same height as him and while he wasn’t exactly as muscular and strong as his father, he had filled out. His hair was now a dark blond and short. “Look at you.”

“Look at you!” Neal replied, hugging him. “I mean you sprouted.”

“It’s good to see you, Neal,” Henry said. Neal nodded, and looked over Henry’s shoulder to where Maia and Lucy stood.

“One minute,” he said. Henry watched as Neal crept over to Maia, who had her back to him. All of a sudden, he grabbed her around the waist and lifted her up, causing her to scream.

“Neal! Put me down!” she yelled. “You know I hate that!”

“I love you too, Cygnet.”

Henry had to turn away from the scene. He hated himself for thinking it, but Neal was getting everything he wanted to have with Maia. Nicknames and teasing and silly little fights. Snow and David rolled their eyes and Emma shook her head at Maia for her screaming. David took his granddaughter’s side and ruffled her hair while Killian asked Neal to get some more plates out.

They were a family. They were his family and yet here he was, standing apart from them and watching them from the outside.

Dinner was pleasant enough, Snow quizzing Lucy about school, hobbies, friends and the Other Enchanted Forest, begging to hear about how Henry and Ella first met (David laughed so hard he choked on his water when he heard the story of how she hijacked his motorbike on her way to a murder attempt) and asking filling him in on the lives of all his friends whom he had missed since he left.

“I’ll have to meet up with them while I’m here,” Henry remarked. “Hansel, Gretel, Grace. I’ve got so much to tell them.”

“You’re friends with Hansel and Gretel?” Lucy asked. “In our land they’re criminals.”

“Well in my land they were two kids who got lost,” he said.

“They were also technically criminals,” Emma pointed out. “But the good kind.”

After dinner they ended up in quiet conversations with each other, Henry and David on the couch.

“I’ve missed you,” Henry confessed. “A lot.”

“Yeah, I missed you too,” David said. “But I’m glad you went.”

“You are?”

“I mean look at what you achieved. You helped break a curse, got Ella off the path of self-destruction, took down a witch.” David looked over at where Lucy was teaching Maia some hand clapping game from her land. “And you raised a pretty great kid.”

“Yeah. Yeah, she is pretty great,” Henry said. “So, you’re not mad I left?”

“Mad?” David asked. “Why would I be mad?”

“I don’t know, I figured someone would be,” he answered. “I missed out on a lot. I mean Neal, he’s all grown up now. And I missed all that.”

“Well, now you can make that up. But no one’s going to blame you for wanting to find your own story.”

“Thanks, gramps,” Henry said. David smiled and hooked an arm around Henry’s shoulders. Slowly, his smile began to fade as realisation dawned on him.

“Wait, am I Lucy’s great grandpa?” he asked, mouth hanging open. “God I cannot be that old.”

                                                                                                *****

Maia shifted onto her back and stared up at her bedroom ceiling. Frustrated she pounded her head softly against her pillow and interlocked her fingers.

“Lucy?” she whispered finally. “You awake?”

“Yeah,” Lucy replied, turning to face her. “What’s up?”

“Can I tell you something?”

“Anything.” Maia took a deep breath. Up until now she had only told things to her parents and that was after she had worked herself into a frenzy. She had simply never had anyone else she could go to. Neal was fine for fun, but he wasn’t someone she could run to when she needed it. Not like a big brother.

Or a best friend, which she supposed Lucy now was.

“I think I’m jealous of your dad,” she confessed. Lucy nodded.

“Why?” she asked.

“I don’t know,” she answered. “I guess, I mean look at how he and my mom were. They had True Love’s kiss and she went to Neverland to find him and they broke curses and he’s a hero. And I’m just….. me.”

“Are you going to tell your mom?” Lucy asked.

“I don’t know. Maybe.” Closing her eyes, Maia let out a long sigh. “It’s stupid.”

“It’s not,” Lucy assured her. “I mean my step aunt, Drizella was always jealous of how close her mom was with her sister Anastasia.”

“Didn’t Drizella cast the curse?”

“Okay that was a bad example,” Lucy said as Maia giggled. “But you’re not stupid.”

“I guess.”

“Want my advice?” Maia nodded furiously. “It doesn’t matter if you tell your mom. But you should talk to my dad.” Maia nodded again. Lucy was right of course, but this wasn’t a conversation she wanted to have with Henry.

“I’m glad I met you,” she said. In the dark, Maia could make out the soft smile on her friend’s face.

                                                                                                *****

If there was a list of things Henry was not expecting, his younger half sister grabbing his sleeve and whispering “we need to talk” was definitely not very high. Nevertheless, he nodded and allowed her to lead him by the hand out of the kitchen and up to her room.

“What’s all this about?” he asked, noticing how she was biting her lip and scratching behind her ear. The apple didn’t fall far from the tree it seemed.

“I want to tell you why I’ve been so weird since you got here,” she confessed.

“Look Maia-” He wanted to tell her it was okay, he knew about the kids from school and he wanted to take it easy with her, but she held her hand up to silence him.

“Nope. I’m talking now.” He chuckled as she took in a deep breath. “Look the truth is, I’m jealous.” Henry blinked at her, wondering if he had heard her correctly. “I’m jealous of what you have with my mom.”

“Maia,” he sighed, taking her hand. “What could you possibly be jealous of?”

“You two shared True Love’s Kiss,” she pointed out. “Twice. She went to another realm for you. I mean she loves you so much she broke out of her Wish self to stop you from being a killer!”

“Maia.” Henry cupped her face, which was turning red now and her eyes glistened with unshed tears. “Maia, you know she’d do all that for you.”

“I know,” she mumbled. “But she has done it with you.”

“Listen, kid. Mom and I did go through a lot. And not all of it was good. I mean being kidnapped was not fun, trust me. Neither was the sleeping curse. And everything before Emma came in kind of sucked. I was in my own twisted Groundhog Day. You are having a normal, happy childhood and that is so amazing.” Maia gave a small nod, clearly not entirely convinced. “Kid, you should have seen how happy Mom was when she was pregnant with you. I mean she was glowing.” He took her chin and tilted it towards him. “She loves you just as much as she loves me. And you don’t need to die to prove it.” With a small smile, Maia looked down at the ground.

“I’m sorry I’ve been so prickly,” she said. Henry laughed and took her hand in his.

“It’s okay, kid. It runs in our family.”

                                                                                                                *****

Henry smiled as Emma moved her legs to make room for him while he carried over two hot cocoas, both with cinnamon.

“I saw you with Maia today,” she remarked as he handed her her mug. “You two have a good talk?”

“Yeah,” he said. “Yeah we did.” Emma sipped her cocoa but kept her eyes on him. “We talked about you.”

“Really?” she asked, surprised. “What about me?”

“She was worried that she and you weren’t going to have what we have,” he confessed. “Because the two of us have had True Love’s kiss and adventures and she never got that.”

Emma’s shoulders sank at the news.

“I had no idea she felt like that,” she sighed. “I should talk to her.”

“I think she gets it now,” he said. “Mom, don’t talk to her, then she’ll know I said something.”

“Take from me kid,” Emma said. “She’s going to need to hear this from me too. She’s not going to be happy until she does.”

“How do you know that?” he asked. Emma sighed and turned to face him.

“Even after the curse broke, and I knew why my parents gave me up, I still wasn’t convinced. I needed to hear it from them that they loved me. And I know Maia is going to need the same thing. I mean, didn’t you need some kind of proof that I didn’t abandon you?”

Henry thought back to when Emma burned the pages for him and took his side against Regina. He knew now that she was just indulging him, that she didn’t believe in the curse. But right then, when Emma took his side regardless of whether or not she thought he was right, was when he knew he was loved. For the very first time in his life, he knew what real love, unconditional love, felt like.

“Yeah. Yeah, I did, Mom.” Emma reached out and covered his hand with hers. “Mom I’m sorry.”

“Sorry for what?” she asked.

“Sorry for not being here, for leaving.” Emma shook her head and rolled her eyes.

“Henry, you have nothing to be sorry for,” she said. “And I know you’ve had this conversation with your grandpa.”

“Is privacy a thing in this family?”

“Henry, you needed to leave. I know I didn’t like it, but you needed to leave. You’d been cooped up in this town for eighteen years. You had to go find your own place. Even if it wasn’t here.” She took a deep breath before continuing. “And do you think you found it yet?”

“I don’t know,” he confessed. “I mean, I feel like there’s a part of me that has to be in Hyperion Heights with Ella and Lucy and Jack and Robyn and Alice. But there’s also a part of me that has to be here, with you and Hook and Grandma and Grandpa and Neal and Maia. And I don’t know.”

“Kid, you’re always going to have a place here,” Emma assured him. “But you have a place in Hyperion Heights too. It’s where your new family is.”

“When did we move from talking about Star Wars to this?” he asked sadly.

“When you got so grown up,” she teased. “I know I said it a lot, but I’ve missed you so much.”

“I missed you too,” he said. “And I kept meaning to come back but something always came up. First Drizella and then Lucy and little crises here and there and by then the curse had hit and we were-”

“Henry breathe,” Emma laughed. “It’s okay, really.”

“I know, I just wish I had spoken to you sooner,” he said. “I didn’t want you to think I was gone for good.”

“I never thought that,” she said. “I know you’d come back eventually. For your grandma’s cooking if not for anything else.”

“So….. I didn’t let you down?” Emma took his face in her hands and made him look at her.

“Henry, you could never, ever let me down. All you’ve done is go out, helped people, started a family. What more could I want you to do?”

                                                                                                *****

“We can’t leave,” Henry said to Ella as they lay in bed together. She sighed and rolled over to face him.

“What do you mean we can’t leave?” she asked.

“I mean we, I mean I can’t leave,” he insisted. “Ella this is my home. This is everyone I have ever known. It’s my mom, it’s my stepdad, it’s my grandparents. My sister is here Ella.”

“Well my family is in Seattle,” she replied. “My friends, Lucy’s friends. Nick is there, isn’t he your friend?”

“Yes, I know, and I want to go back to Hyperion Heights too, but….” He trailed off, searching for the right words. “I don’t want to miss more time with my mom. Or my sister. Ella, I promised when I finished the book I’d come back for them and I have.” Ella nodded, not meeting his eyes.

“Henry this is a pretty big decision,” she whispered. “We can’t just make it overnight.”

“I know.” He smiled slightly. “Grown up decisions, right?”

“Right,” she nodded. “So, let’s talk it over. Tomorrow.”

So, they talked it over. Henry insisted he needed to be in Storybrooke to be with his family. Ella said she knew but she couldn’t just leave her friends, her comrades. She reminded him those people had stood by her when she was being hunted by her stepmother. And Lucy couldn’t be uprooted from school and her friends.

And it went on for a while. Eventually it escalated into raised voices and Henry being thankful Emma was at work, Maia at school, Killian and Lucy at his grandparents’.

It eventually ended up with Henry grabbing her wrist as she tried to leave, all puppy eyes and sincere apologies. They sat on the sofa and had another go at the talking.

“I just can’t stand the thought of them being so far away,” Henry sighed.

“I get it,” she sighed. “Pity you can’t be in two places at once.”

“Maybe I can,” Henry muttered. His mouth twitched up into a smirk.

“What is it?” Ella asked, beginning to smile.

“Come on,” he said, grabbing her hand and half dragging her out the door. “I think my aunt and cousin can help us out here.”

                                                                                                *****

Emma felt so stupid, packing her son’s clothes for him. He was a grown man, surely, he could pack his things himself. Yet she stood in the middle of their guest bedroom, picking up his shirt with shaking hands and holding them close to her chest before putting them in his suitcase.

She thought she’d grow used to him not being here, and she almost did. She had almost adjusted to Henry not being around the house to give quick hugs or ask for Pop Tarts. Then he had come back and now she didn’t want to let him go again. And selfishly, she hoped he felt the same way. She hoped he would refuse to leave and move back into his old room, and they could pretend he never left.

Selfish woman, she thought, shaking her head. Henry had a life now and she respected that. Even if it meant being away from her.

“Mom?” he asked. She turned to see him leaning in the doorway, smiling sadly when he noticed her tears. “You don’t need to pack for me.”

“I need to do something for you, kid,” she sniffled as he came over. He was taller than her now. “I’m glad you came back.”

“I had to,” he said. “I couldn’t be without you.” He pulled her into a hug and placed his chin on her head. “I love you, Mom.”

“I love you too,” she whispered. “So so much.”

“Come on.” He stepped out of the hug and took her hand. “There’s something I need to show you.”

“What is it?” she asked sceptically, drying her tears.

“Let’s call it ‘Operation Double’,” he replied.

Emma ended up being taken down the street by her son, her daughter holding her other hand. For ten years she had waited and waited for this; having both of her children beside her. Needless to say, it felt great. Ella walked hand in hand with Lucy, a secret smile on her face, while Lucy mouthed something to Maia.

“What’s this big surprise we have to see?” Maia asked. Henry stopped them in front of a small white two storey house with a black painted door and a lawn covered in flowers. Most importantly, there was a sold sign out front.

“A house?” Lucy asked.

“Our house,” Henry confirmed. Ecstatic, Lucy jumped in the air before running from her mother to see the inside. Maia went after her too, only to find the door locked. “Yeah, a key might work here.”

Emma couldn’t deny how happy she was at the thought of Henry staying in Storybrooke, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t sceptical. She knew Henry couldn’t leave the family he found in Hyperion Heights behind.

“You bought a house?” Emma asked as he opened the door. “A house in Storybrooke?”

“Yep,” he confirmed, opening the door and letting the kids run inside. The entryway was pretty bare, but the small kitchen was set up, complete with table and chairs, made by Marco. Emma would know that carving anywhere. “As you can see it has everything a family might need. Living room, big garden, and….” He stopped at a door nestled under the stairs.

“A closet?” Maia asked, wrinkling her nose. Henry shook his head and opened it. Instead of an empty space, there was a golden light swirling inside.

“A portal!” Emma exclaimed. “How did you-”

“Robyn and Zelena,” he replied. “They helped. And once we’re in Hyperion Heights they can open it on the other side.”

“Henry,” Emma gasped. “This is amazing.”

“I want to stay,” he confessed. “Part of me still does. Part of me belongs here. But part of me belongs in Hyperion Heights. And I can’t be in two places at once, so this is the next best thing.”

“The next best thing,” Emma repeated. “So you can come through whenever you want?”

“And stay for as long as we want,” he answered. “If you ever need me, I’m just a portal ride away. It works both ways.”

“And if you ever need me, I am just a portal ride away,” she reminded him. “So next time someone threatens you with a curse….”

“I come to you,” he said. “I will, Mom, I promise.”

“So do I get two rooms?” Lucy asked. “And can I decorate my room here?”

“Sure, you can Luce,” Henry chuckled.

“And I can see Maia whenever I want?” she asked again.

“Within reason, but yes. You two can visit each other.”

The two girls grasped each other’s hands tightly, grinning. Henry smiled at them. They really did love each other.

                                                                                                *****

After another dinner cooked by Snow, it was time to leave. Since no-one wanted to take the bus, Henry pinched another magic bean to make the trip home. They outside Granny’s for one final goodbye.

“Here’s my e-mail, my phone number, my Instagram and my Snapchat,” Maia said to Lucy. “And you’ll call once you get home.”

“I will I promise,” Lucy told her. She wiped the tears in her eyes before taking Maia’s hands. His sister’s eyes were wet too.

“Thank you, Lucy,” she said. “For everything.”

“Friends forever?” Lucy asked.

“Best friends forever,” Maia corrected before hugging her tightly. After letting go of Lucy, she marched up to Henry and handed him a piece of paper. “Same for you. Phone, email, Instagram, Snapchat. Just in case I need to talk to you about something that Mom and Dad don’t have to know about.”

“Oh, there will be plenty of that.” He knelt down and hugged her tightly, winding his fingers into her ginger hair. “I’ll miss you….. Cygnet.”

“I’ll miss you too, big brother,” she whispered. After letting go of Maia, he walked over to Emma.

“You’ll be okay without me?” he asked.

“I could ask you the same,” she replied, taking his hand. “But I know you’ll be fine.”

“Yeah, yeah I will,” he said. “But it’s because of you. You taught me to be strong. And that is the honest truth.”

“I guess I did okay in the end,” she said, wiping her eyes. “Even after everything.”

“All you have ever done is give me my best chance,” he said. “You did amazing.” He wrapped his arms around her. “And you’re doing amazing with her. Although I need to ask….” Emma frowned, confused. “Ginger?”

“Killian swears his mother was a redhead,” she laughed. “And apparently, someone far back enough in my family was one too.”

“It’s cute,” he said.

Emma stood on her tiptoes and kissed his forehead.

“We should go,” Zelena said. “Longer we wait the less reliable the portal will be.”

Henry took a shaky step back from Emma, his vision blurred with tears. Killian stood at Emma’s side and wrapped his arm around her, steadying her. She leaned onto him gratefully. Killian caught Alice with his hook as she passed.

“Give your father my regards, love?” he asked.

“I will,” she promised.

Lucy ran from the portal and hugged Emma around the waist, knocking her offguard. But true to form, Emma hugged her back.

“Thanks Grandma,” she said. Emma shook her head.

“Nope, still not used to it,” she sighed. “But you’re welcome, sweetie. And uh….” She knelt down to Lucy’s level. “Keep an eye on your dad for me?”

“Of course, I will,” she giggled, before re-joining her mother at the portal.

One by one, they went back through the portal. First Zelena, then Robyn, then Alice. Lucy gave Maia one final hug before dashing through and Ella ran after her. Henry walked backwards, taking a mental snapshot of his family as he left.

“I love you guys,” he called back. “So much.”

“I love you too, kid,” Emma replied. And that was the last thing he heard before stepping into the portal.

**Author's Note:**

> This was not intended to be this long lmao. I hope you liked, please leave comments because they feed my ego.


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